Video: Nev. troopers sue over 'trick pony' K-9s

LAS VEGAS — Two Nevada Highway Patrol troopers and a retired police sergeant claim local K-9s are trained as "trick ponies" that merely follow cues from their handlers instead of truly sniffing for drugs, according to reports.

In one incident, Las Vegas police detectives allegedly poked holes into parcels from a sorting belt so their K-9s could alert more easily, the Las Vegas Review Journal reported.

Ken McKenna, the troopers' lawyer, said a video uploaded to YouTube in May is evidence of Las Vegas officers "cueing" their K-9s. The dash cam footage shot during a traffic stop claims to show a handler approach an ice chest containing methamphetamine and give a K-9 a toy — signaling drugs were found — even though the K-9 never alerted.

Additional allegations include claims of racketeering, corruption and abuse of office. Department of Public Safety spokeswoman Gail Powell said they were false and filed by "disgruntled" officers.